Joe Biden has pledged to sign legislation that would ban TikTok in the US, saying categorically that he is ready to sign the bill into law, citing national security concerns.
Sky news reports the bill, demanding ByteDance divest TikTok ownership or face a ban, passed unanimously in the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson announced the bill would soon be voted on in the House, signaling bipartisan support.
Furthermore, while the White House contributed to the bill’s drafting, Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre noted it requires refinement for Biden’s full endorsement.
Meanwhile, former President Trump, on his Truth Social platform, voiced opposition to the ban, fearing it would benefit Facebook, despite previous attempts to ban TikTok and WeChat over security worries.
Furthermore, amid concerns from the FBI and FCC about ByteDance sharing data with China’s government—a claim TikTok disputes—Biden, ready to sign TikTok legislation, enacted a ban on federal devices in 2022.
In 2022, President Biden prohibited TikTok on federal devices, affecting nearly four million government employees, to safeguard national security. This ban applies to all agency-owned devices, allowing exceptions only for law enforcement, national security, and security research. The move underscores the administration’s concerns over TikTok’s potential data privacy and security risks.
This action underscores persistent security worries, despite his campaign’s recent engagement with TikTok. Similarly, the UK’s ban on TikTok for government phones echoes the security stances of the US, Canada, and the EU.
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